Terri
by arashikageriverflower
Summary: What if Snake-Eyes' twin sister... wasn't really dead? Rated for safety
1. Chapter 1

Screams.

Screams… and fire.

And sky - pale blue with wisps of clouds.

_Funny_, he thought, _the details one notices when dying._

Time rewound itself then, and he watched it all from her eyes: heard what she heard, felt what she felt.

The car was going the speed limit, and it was one out of only five on this backroad. She couldn't understand the need for a closed window or a seatbelt, no matter how her parents pled and pleaded. "I'll be fine, Daddy. Don't worry, Mum."

And that was exactly when a car in the opposite lane swerved and bashed in the side of their vehicle. It threw her half out the window, then with the sound of metal groaning in utter protest, it flipped the car.

That was when the screams started.

She didn't know how, but she managed to worm her way out of her fated prison while it was still in the air. Her chin hit the farmland soil with an almighty crack. She wanted to scream as she rolled over, but could not.

More screams reached her ears.

An explosion, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw fire.

Soon, sirens wailed along with the screaming people and creaking metal and crackling flame.

After several long hours, it all dispersed, leaving her with the sky – the happy sky…, the mocking sky…

There was another blow to her jaw, then, accompanied by a rather colorful word.

~yojoe~

Scarlett rubbed her knuckles. "You better be awake now," she hissed. "You never told me you were an active sleeper."

Snake-Eyes rubbed his jaw meaningfully. _I'm usually not_, he signed. _Was that really necessary?_

Scarlett slid off her boyfriend's lap and squished into the practically nonexistent space between him and the sleeping Lifeline. "Nothing else worked."

Snake-Eyes sighed heavily.

"What's bugging you?"

_Nightmares._

"What about?"

_I don't want to talk about it._

Scarlett nodded sagely as she curled up against her ninja's side. "Well, when you stop hiding from the world, I'll always be willing to listen."

Snake-Eyes groaned, squeezed her hand, and led her to the back of the transport. _These-_, he gestured to the South Carolina farmland sweeping by, _-these are the lands that raised me. And this- somewhere along this road is where my family died._

Scarlett wrapped her arms around him. "It'll be okay."

_Shana._

She looked up sharply, knowing it was rare for him to use her real name.

_These dreams…_ Snake-Eyes shook his head. _Do you remember when I told you Terri and I were so close, it was like we had a psychic connection?_

"Yes."

_It wasn't just like. It was ESP. In these dreams, I'm seeing the crash through her eyes. I haven't seen anything from her perspective since she died. What I'm saying is-_

"What if she's not dead," Scarlett finished in a murmur. "Hmm…"

Snake-Eyes caught Scarlett's hand before it touched his forehead. _I'm not sick. I'm hoping._ He turned and walked back to his seat.

Scarlett sat on his lap again, throwing her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder. "That's even more dangerous."

_What choice do I have?_

"Well, you could focus on beating Cobra but tomorrow. If we find them, that is…"

_Scarlett…_

"Just go to sleep."

Snake-Eyes sighed heavily but laid back, closed his eyes, and returned to the realm of his nightmares.


	2. Chapter 2

The transport jolted to a stop midmorning. "What is it, Thunder?" Scarlett called.

The driver pointed ahead. "Cobra's going door to door asking… something. Do we attack?"

Snake-Eyes pushed his way to the front. _What have we got?_

"Five Hiss tanks, thirty, maybe forty, infantry."

"Do we attack?" Thunder repeated.

Scarlett nodded. "All right, Joes, we got Cobra up front. It's a miracle they haven't noticed us yet. Bazooka, grab the RPG; I want you to take out the Hiss tanks. Snake-Eyes, Quick-Kick, you're on the turkey hunt. Lifeline, you stay back here and set up to receive wounded. Everyone else, good luck dodging bullets. Let's hear it!"

"YO JOE!"

Scarlett led her forces out to engage the enemy. She distinctly heard the gasp of the leader.

"GIJOE! Turn the tanks on them!"

"Bazooka?"

"Coming through." Bazooka pushed his way to the front and set up his RPG. "Cover fire, please?"

"Of course."

_ratatatatatatat!_

_BOOM!_

"One tank down, four to go."

~yojoe~

"I don't get it. Why say 'turkey hunt' when you can say 'pick them off one by one from the back'?"

Snake-Eyes shot Quick-Kick a glare.

"What?"

_Be quiet before you give away our position!_

"Snakes, I have no clue what you're saying. Er…"

Snake-Eyes' palm met his forehead. He looked behind himself at the six unconscious Cobras who were blessedly silent. _Quick-Kick could learn a thing or two from them._

Quick-Kick tapped Snake-Eyes' shoulder and nodded to a Cobra infantryman who had ventured too close to their ditch.

Snake-Eyes nodded and counted down the seconds before he reached them. Together, he and Quick-Kick pounced, knocking the Cobra unconscious and dragging him back with them to his comrades.

"_Snake-Eyes, Quick-Kick, abandon turkey hunt. We need some hardcore fire from the rear. Spirit and Rock'N'Roll are on their way to join you."_

"Read you loud and clear, Scarlett."

Snake-Eyes drew his twin Uzis and leapt into the fray, spraying fire down on all Cobras.

That was when it happened.

~yojoe~

He looked at his hands to see he was wearing gardening gloves and digging in a small plot of soil. A red wall rose high above his head, presumably that of a barn. Next to him in the fresh cut grass laid a bag of flower bulbs. Behind him, acres upon acres of crops grew, reaching for the blue skies.

He glanced down at the watch on his wrist. _11:46am, Wednesday, June 3__rd__._

He looked up the road to his right to see strange flashes of light and, once in a while, hear an explosion.

"Snake-Eyes!" someone screamed.

A fire in his left shoulder brought him back to his own mind.

~yojoe~

Scarlett couldn't believe it. "Lifeline, Snake-Eyes is down. Spirit, retrieve him." She shook her head and focused on returning fire. _What would make him just stop like that?_ "Gung-Ho, can you handle it out here?"

"Sure thing. It's down to ten of them and ten of us." Gung-Ho winked. "Go check on our boy."

Scarlett smiled gratefully and rushed to the back of the transport. "Lifeline?"

Lifeline shook his head. "I need a better place to treat him. The wound's too close to the heart for my liking."

"Is he awake?"

"Don't take too long."

Scarlett nodded and turned on her boyfriend. "What was that? You almost got yourself killed!"

"Still could."

"Shut up, Lifeline!"

Snake-Eyes shook his head. _She's alive, Scarlett. She's alive… and close._

"What happened?"

_She was planting bulbs next to a barn, and she could see the fight. She's just up the road._

"Who are you talking about?"

_Terri._

Scarlett glanced at Lifeline. "How do you know?"

_I was inside her head._

"Are you sure it was hers?"

_Extremely positive._


	3. Chapter 3

"Scarlett! Snake-Eyes is losing blood fast!"

"I heard you!"

Lifeline grumbled. "I need better facilities!"

The transport hit a pothole.

"And more stable ones!"

"Unless a farmhouse will do, you'll have to stick with fifteen minutes to the hospital at twice the speed limit!" Scarlett called. "Those are our only two options!"

"Take the farmhouse! He won't make it that long without a transfusion, and I can't do one in the back of a moving truck!"

Scarlett pointed Thunder up the nearest driveway. She herself rushed out to knock. Thankfully, a tall man answered very quickly. She flashed her ID in his face. "E-6 Shana O'Hara. A man in my unit will probably die, unless-"

"Come in. You can use the living room. Don't worry about bloodstains, my sister knows how to get them out."

Scarlett smiled gratefully. "Spirit! Gung-Ho! Bring Snake-Eyes! Lifeline, grab what you need!"

The man led the five to his living room. He offered one comment before stepping out of the way. "Name's Dane, call if you need anything."

"Scarlett!" Lifeline snapped. "Where's his medical file? What's his blood type?"

"Homozygous B-positive."

"No one here has that blood type!"

Dane stepped up quickly. "My sister does. She's out working." He dashed to the porch. "Shary!"

Scarlett barely noticed the pretty blonde who came in and sat down next to Snake-Eyes.

"He's unconscious," Spirit reported.

"Gung-Ho, go back to the truck," Scarlett ordered.

As the marine exited, Spirit spoke up again. "Bleeding's stopped. He needs a transfusion now, Lifeline."

Lifeline nodded. "Are you ready, Miss?"

The blonde nodded.

"Spirit, take Scarlett outside, will you?"

Scarlett tried to resist, but the Native American Joe was much stronger than her. She slumped in a porch swing with an attitude.

"He's strong, he'll pull through." Spirit sat next to her and started cleaning his rifle. "And he's been dead before."

"Don't remind me."

"Cobra wasn't where we expected, were they?"

Scarlett sighed. "No, they weren't"

"What do you suppose they were asking?"

"Well, sideways lip-reading is hard, but I caught the word 'sister'."

Spirit raised an eyebrow. "That's very strange." He just sat there, deep in thought, until Lifeline and Shary came out.

The medic stripped off his gloves. "He's stable," he reported, "but still unconscious, and I want him to take his recovery slow. Dane offered us his guest bedrooms, but he only has three."

Scarlett stood sharply. "Snake-Eyes, you, and me. That leaves you in command, Spirit."

Spirit nodded. "I suppose you will want Gung-Ho and I to transport him to the bedroom?"

"If you can."

Dane walked up to his sister and tapped her on the shoulder. "What's on your mind?"

Shary communicated in a short burst of sign language.

Scarlett raised an eyebrow.

"My sister wants to make you all supper," Dane translated. "Oh, her throat was damaged years ago."

"We all understand ASL, though only Lifeline, Snakes, and I speak it fluently. Snake-Eyes is actually mute."

Shary grinned. _You understand me?_

"Yes." Scarlett gestured to the transport. "Are you sure? There's still twelve of us, minus the Snakester."

_I've cooked for bigger groups in less time. We'll eat on the lawn. If you want to help, you can set up tables and chairs._

Scarlett glanced over Dane and Shary. "You're both very kind."


	4. Chapter 4

Snake-Eyes regained consciousness sometime in the middle of the night. His mask was on the end table, his chest and shoulder were tightly bandaged, and a sign was plastered to the ceiling above his head, which read, "DON'T YOU DARE GET UP – SCARLETT & LIFELINE"

Snake-Eyes smiled and glanced around_. Katana at the end of the bed? Check. Uzi under pillow? Check. Grenades on windowsill? Good_. He closed his eyes to see himself walking up a flight of wooden stairs, and he opened them swiftly. _Is Scarlett maybe right that I hope in vain? What do these visions mean?_ He hesitantly closed his eyes again, but this time, he only fell into a troubled sleep.

~yojoe~

Shary slowly opened the door to the guest bedroom. The wounded man seemed familiar… _He's sleeping. Good._ She crept up to the bed to see he was maskless. The burns didn't startle her – they were barely worse than the ones on her feet - ,what startled her was how much more familiar he looked without his mask. She brought a hand up to her head as her memory tried to resurface. It always hurt, that's why she stopped trying.

By some impulse, she reached out and touched the center of his forehead. She was immediately sucked into a vortex of despair, fire, and so many tears, you'd think the fire would've been extinguished long ago. The storm whipped painfully at her hide until she reached the eye. In the eye, an avatar of Scarlett waited, only to be blown away as ash. And there was no eye, only a never-ending storm. That was when the ghosts came, chanting about revenge, blame, and future tragedy.

Shary ripped her hand away to see the man's eyes were now open. She stumbled backwards and knocked over a vase of flowers. When she looked up, he was holding a pad of paper with a single word scrawled across it.

_Terri?_

Just then, Scarlett and Lifeline practically busted the door down.

~yojoe~

Scarlett walked wearily down the stairs to explain things to Dane and Shary. "Shary isn't your biological sister, is she, Dane?"

The farmer rose angrily. "So what if she's not?"

Scarlett made a calming gesture. "I need you to tell me everything."

Dane sighed. "Fine. A couple years ago, there was a huge crash out there on the road. The next day, we found her in our fields with a damaged throat and heavily burned feet. She couldn't talk or walk. Mom had just passed away, so we kept our godsend and named her after her."

"We?"

"Me and my dad."

"Would a couple years ago be about twenty, twenty-five?

"Yeah, 'bout."

Scarlett nodded slowly. "I'll be right back." She dashed up the stairs, Lifeline yelled something, and there was the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. Moments later, she returned, a photo in hand. "This is Snake-Eyes' most treasured possession. He carried this photo through two tours in 'Nam and he believed that as long as he kept it safe, nothing could happen to him."

Dane took the photo and nearly dropped it. "Shary…"

Shary took one look and sat down hard. _It's me… just younger…_

Scarlett retrieved the picture. "this is Snake-Eyes' twin sister. She supposedly died in a major car wreck twenty-three years ago, along with their parents. I just checked the figures with Snake-Eyes."

Shary trembled.

"He also told me that although, they shared an ESP link, he never 'felt' her death."

_I was inside his head…,_ Shary signed_. And he asked me if I was Terri… Is that my name?_

"With your permission, a DNA test would yield better results, but just from circumstantial evidence, I would say yes."

_Can I talk with him?_

"Be my guest."

As soon as Shary was gone, Dnae rounded on Scarlett. "If you're blaming me-"

"I'm not blaming anyone," Scarlett snapped. "My own mother died, I know what that's llike. But so help me, if Shary really is Snake-Eyes' sister, and you interfere, I will make life very painful you. Clear as mud?"

Dane nodded firmly.

A knock sounded on the door.

As Dane answered, Scarlett picked up her crossbow and listened. "Yes?"

"Hello, sir. Sorry for the late intrusion, but we're an organization for the reformation of American government. We're looking for the sister of one of our- GIJOE!"

Scarlett had wandered closer. "Dane, get away!"

The Cobra grabbed Dane and held a gun to his head. "Surrender, Joe, or we'll see who can pull the trigger fastest."

Scarlett threw her crossbow on the ground with an outraged growl, and put her hands above her head.

"Search the house! There's never just one unless it's one of those infernal ninja! We'll take everybody!"

Five Cobras stormed up the stairs, then one called down, "The ninja, Snake-Eyes, is here! But he's nothing but a doorstop!"

"Take him anyway!"

And the five were dragged into the Cobra vehicles.

"What happened to the Uzi?" Scarlett hissed to Snake-Eyes.

The ninja shook his head, glaring daggers at Lifeline. _He took the weapons and put them by the door, insisting he'd have no weapons in his sickbay. I wonder…_


	5. Chapter 5

By mutual agreement- save his own- Snake-Eyes got the only bed in the cell. Shary sat next to him and asked him very random questions about herself. Dane sat protectively by his 'sister', glaring across the room at Lifeline. Scarlett sat at Snake-Eyes' head, playing with his hand and watching his conversation with Shary.

_ Was my favorite color always green?_

Snake-Eyes nodded.

_ And I've never liked Christmas?_

_Never._

Scarlett raised an eyebrow. "Christmas?"

_A third of the fun was gone as soon as one of us got a gift for the other_, Snake-Eyes explained.

Shary nodded slowly.

"I'll be surprised if we see Christmas this year," Dane spat, making a feeble kick towards Lifeline.

"Yes, I'm curious. What made you take Snake's weapons?" Scarlett demanded.

"I'm a noncombatant," Lifeline grumbled, taking keen interest in what Shary had just asked Snake-Eyes.

"But you're no pacifist."

Snake-Eyes tugged on Scarlett's sleeve.

"What?"

_It's her._

"How do you know?"

_She just correctly guessed my real name._

Lifeline smiled as Scarlett gaped.

"What are you grinning about?" Dane tackled the medic.

"Dane!" Scarlett rushed to drag the farmer away from her comrade. "That won't help anything!"

Dane grudgingly retreated to his seat.

"Right now, we need to focus on implementing our escape plan. But we need Snake-Eyes to be whole for that."

"You have an escape plan?"

"We agreed on it before we left base."

Lifeline leaned forward. "Remind me. I forgot."

"Do you _really_ think it's wise to blurt it out in a bugged cell?"

"Not at all. Sorry, I wasn't thinking."

"I'll say not. But if you don't remember, Dane and Shary have even less of a clue. Just go with the flow."

_Terri._

"What was that, Snake-Eyes?"

_Terri, not Shary._

Lifeline glanced at Dane. "I have a question."

"What's that?" Dane growled.

"There's no hospital record of her. If there was, we'd have known she's alive a whole lot sooner. How did you treat those burns? Or her throat?"

"Dad was a doctor."

"So he treated her at your home?"

"Duh."

"Boys…," Scarlett warned, "be nice. You're stuck with eachother until we get out. Deal with it." She sighed heavily. "Snake-Eyes, how do you feel?" She turned to face the ninja, turning her back on Lifeline for a brief moment.

Snake-Eyes closed his eyes. _I can do it._

"How is he gonna do anything with his ankles tied to the bed with padlocked chain?" Dane asked.

_Crack!_

"What was that?"

Scarlett grinned. "His ankle."

Snake-Eyes sat up and wormed his way out of the chains, then he relocated his ankle with another crack_. Any more questions?_ He didn't wait for an answer, but tore open the mattress and ripped out a spring to use as a lockpick.

Just then, Cobra guards stormed in and seized Snake-Eyes. They beat him severely and dragged him away.

"Well." Lifeline sounded defeated. "There goes that plan."

Scarlett whirled around and punched him, knocking him unconscious.

He fell against the bed and the appearance of the GIJOE medic faded.

"Zartan." Scarlett looted the shapeshifter's belt and found a comlink. "Figures. He probably switched places with Lifeline when we engaged Cobra not far from your farm, Dane. And he ratted us out when he heard we had an escape plan." She fiddled with it for a few minutes. "One-way, one-band. Of course."

"What do we do now?" Dane asked.

"We wait."


	6. Chapter 6

They didn't have to wait long. In just two hours, the prisoners – including Zartan - were dragged to Cobra Commander's throne room. Snake-Eyes was already there, kneeling at the foot of the dais. He was shirtless, maskless, heavily chained, and heavily bleeding.

"Snake!" Scarlett tried to rush to his side, but a Viper jabbed her in the shoulder with an electroprod.

Dane, Terri, Scarlett, and Zartan were made to kneel in the middle of the room as Cobra Commander began his monologue, addressed to Snake-Eyes. "Do you remember when I saved your life?"

Snake-Eyes flinched.

"You were just plain suicidal after your family died. You wandered the streets… And so did I, I had just lost my business. I found you standing in front of an oncoming semi-truck and tackled you out of the way. We talked and wandered together. Eventually we reached the subject of government, and there we had something we agreed on!"

Scarlett looked up, concerned.

"Together, we planted seeds for a reformation! A revolution! And eventually, that gave rise to Cobra." The Commander hoisted Snake-Eyes up by the chains and made him look around. "Tell me," he whispered, "are you proud of what we built?" He threw the ninja down, and continued his monologue. "You didn't stick around for that, though! You betrayed me! Your only friend!"

Terri leaned fearfully against Dane.

"You fled first to Japan. Then, I can only assume, to solitude. Then to GIJOE. Years, we have been enemies. You working so hard to unravel our greatest accomplishment!

"Then guess what I found? The police reports for that fateful crash. Only three bodies were found. THREE! Your… beloved twin sister was still alive. Well, revenge is sweet, but how would I find her? Oh, I'd look!"

"You mean have your minions look!" Scarlett jeered.

"Silence her!"

A Viper struck Scarlett with the butt of his gun.

"Anyways." The Commander turned back to Snake-Eyes. "Maybe, I'd generate enough activity to bring a Joe team to investigate. I give you hope… then I squash it!"

Snake-Eyes actually trembled. Though from rage… fear… guilt… No one could tell.

"How nice of you to bring Scarlett along. How you love Scarlett… Not a very well kept secret, I must say. Double revenge must be twice as sweet."

Suddenly, with a roar that belied his damaged throat, Snake-Eyes ripped out of his chains, tearing his skin to shreds. He lunged after Cobra Commander and grabbed him by the throat.

"Don't shoot!" the Commander shrieked.

Snake-Eyes nodded to his sister, love, and 'brother'.

"Release the prisoners!"

The Vipers hesitated, but stepped away from the captives. Snake-Eyes shepherded them out of the throne room, through the complex, through the yard, and out the gate, still holding the Commander. Finally, he pitched him over the fence, and the five ran.

The prisoners didn't stop running until dawn. Snake-Eyes immediately collapsed in Scarlett's arms.

Dane and Terri laid on their backs, gulping in air. "So glad we got out of there!" Dane gasped.

Zartan stood straight and whistled. "You're not out of the woods yet, Joes."

Soon, the five found themselves surrounded. "Drednoks!" Scarlett groaned. "We don't get a favor for dragging your sorry butt out of there?"

Zartan grinned. "On the contrary, I hate owing people." He pushed a Drednok forward. "Torch will escort you to the road from here."

"Aw-"

Zartan quickly silenced Torch's complaint. "Until next we meet Joes. Then it will be blood and fire."

Scarlett nodded. "Don't expect any less from us."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Zartan and the rest of the Drednoks disappeared.

_What about Lifeline? _Terri signed_. Didn't Zartan take him prisoner?_

"We'll get him back," Scarlett promised.

_We'll get George to help_, Snake-Eyes signed weakly. _I can't wait to see the look on his face…_


End file.
